Jewelry 101: Finishing Wire Ends

Posted on July 31, 2007 by Leah
I make a lot of jewelry using wire - in fact, nearly everything I make incorporates wire in some way, even if it's just a wire head pin or an earwire. One problem beginning wireworkers have is that when you cut a piece of wire, the ends feel sharp and jagged. To make wire jewelry look and feel smoother and more finished, it is necessary to smooth out the ends of the wire. Luckily, this is not difficult, it just takes a little bit of time. Here are just a few ways I've smoothed wire ends:
  • Using a cup burr - cup burrs are used with dremel-type machines or flex shafts, and come in different sizes for different wire gauges. If you use a cup burr to smooth the end of your wire, they will become slightly rounded, so this is a good method for finishing ear wires. Cup burrs & flex shaft machines are available through jewelry supply companies - but there are several simple methods that don't require special eqiupment.
  • Using sandpaper - wet/dry sandpaper can bu used to smooth out wire ends. I especially like the sanding pad that are sold at hardware stores. A relatively fine grade - 300-400 - will work well.
  • Jeweler's files or needle files from the hardware store - using files is quick and easy and with a little practice, you can get very smooth, flat wire ends using files.
  • Sharpening stones - a lot of wireworkers I know swear by using sharpening stones. There are special stones made for sharpening fish hooks that have a little groove, and you just swipe the wire through the groove a couple of times for a smooth, slighlty rounded end. Flat sharpening stones also work, but won't automatically shape the wire end the way the grooved stones do.
  • Fingernail files - this is one of my favorite tricks, if I'm working away from my studio. Fingernail files are great for smoothing wire ends, and they come in many different grades, and are easy to find at drug stores and grocery stores.
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3 Responses to Jewelry 101: Finishing Wire Ends

  1. Pingback: University Update - UN Studio - Jewelry 101: Finishing Wire Ends

  2. kim says:
    January 18, 2008 at 10:56 pm

    can you just put the earwires in a tumbler with the stainless steel shot to smooth the ends? I’m thinking you could do a bunch at a time this way…..

  3. Administrator says:
    January 19, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    You probably can, but I would check them afterward to make sure they really smoothed out. I don’t usually make lots of earwires at once, but if I did, I would probably try this. Filing the ends only takes me a few seconds, so it’s not as labor intensive as it sounds.